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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23454745">Days Gone By</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoonarLilies/pseuds/LoonarLilies'>LoonarLilies</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Day6 (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-20 05:36:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,563</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23454745</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoonarLilies/pseuds/LoonarLilies</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The week before Jae left to fly to South Korea and train at JYP Entertainment. Re-imagined.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Park Jaehyung | Jae/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Days Gone By</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is a truly fictional re-imagination of the time before Jae started training to be an idol! This is a fictional scenario!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Oh! Hey Jae! Didn't we decide on meeting tomorrow or....?", I greeted my boyfriend of five years as he walked past me into my dorm room.<br/>
"Yeah, we did.. But I couldn't wait any longer. I needed to tell you now, I want you to be the first one to know."<br/>
I tilted my head a little. That didn't sound like something good if I was very honest to myself... But he seemed happy in some way or another.<br/>
To call the feeling I felt in that exact moment 'confusion' was definitely an understatement.</p><p>"What do you mean? What is it you need to tell me that you don't even give me a kiss after we haven't seen each other for a whole week?"<br/>
Under normal circumstances he would have literally thrown himself onto me, kissing and hugging the life out of me, after not seeing me for even a day or two. Usually he couldn't stand not seeing me even for some 24 hours. Which made this whole thing even weirder.</p><p>Jae sighed and stood up from my bed he had previously sat down on.<br/>
"I'm sorry, babe... Lemme kiss ya."<br/>
He smiled his usual big smile, almost convincing me that nothing was wrong, and walked up to me.<br/>
I smiled back, as I had missed him and his warm embrace and soft kisses.</p><p>After a long kiss, which didn't let the sexual tension between us rise but instead just satisfied our need for the others' touch, we both sat down on my bed.<br/>
"So.. What is it? What do you want to tell me that couldn't wait 24 more hours?", I finally asked while smiling at him reassuringly. He somehow seemed nervous, anxious even.</p><p>"Okay.. So.. You know I spent the last week at my grandparents' house in Korea, right?"<br/>
"Yeah..? And?" I couldn't bring myself to ask him how it was and if he enjoyed his time on the other side of the world, it didn't seem like the time to do it.<br/>
"And you know I've been trying to get into one of those Korean entertainments? Those that produce Kpop groups?"<br/>
"Yes, Jae. Quit beating around the bush, though, and tell me what's going on."<br/>
I wasn't mad at him for taking so long to tell me what has been going on that week in Korea, in hindsight that is. At that particular moment, all of these questions and his strange behavior had gotten me nervous too and thus I just wanted to know why we were sitting on my bed in my dorm room and having this weirdly serious conversation.</p><p>"You know JYP Entertainment? The one with Wonder Girls and stuff? One of the biggest companies in Korea? The one which I really wanted to get accepted in?"<br/>
I nodded slowly, trying to recollect all of those things he told me about the Korean music industry.<br/>
"I....", Jae breathed in deeply before saying the next part. "...got accepted as a trainee. I'm going to be training at JYP Entertainment for the next, I don't know, weeks.. months.. years.. We will see. I already signed the contract and I'll be starting the training in a week."<br/>
I looked at him in shock. There were too many information for me to process all at once so I had to go through each sentence, each word, he said one by one.</p><p>"You got accepted?", was my first question I asked him, just to make sure I understood correctly.<br/>
My boyfriend smiled a big smile and nodded. I slowly nodded, too as an answer to give him the sign that I had understood that part at least.<br/>
"And you're going to debut as a singer?"<br/>
"Yeah, that's the plan. I honestly don't know yet how long I'm going to be a trainee and what I'll have to take lessons in. For all I know, they could make me learn dancing and make me debut in a group that has all that fancy choreography stuff."<br/>
We both giggled at that thought. Jae and dancing... Those two components just didn't belong together. I could still remember the struggle of trying to teach him the waltz for prom.</p><p>"Okay... So.. Those are good news, though, aren't they? Why are you being so nervous then?"<br/>
"I don't know if you didn't hear the last part of what I said, but.. I have to move to Korea. For... basically the rest of my life, I think? I'll live there, work there. And I'll be moving there in about a week. Six and a half days. 156 hours."<br/>
My smile faded. He was right, I didn't hear the last part. Or maybe I just didn't want to hear it. Or I didn't exactly understand what that meant for our relationship and just ignored the consequences of it. Who knows?<br/>
It suddenly dawned on me why he had been so anxious the whole time.<br/>
"Oh", was the only thing I could say at first, although I had so much more in my head I wanted to say.</p><p>For some 30 seconds we sat there without saying a word, just looking into each others eyes, until I finally got myself to say "Congratulations!" and put on a big smile.<br/>
And neither the smile, nor the happiness in my voice were fake. I was sincerely happy for him, as it was his dream to be accepted into that exact entertainment and debut as a singer.<br/>
Jae seemed confused, unsure how to react to my sudden mood change, so I hugged him and kissed him on the cheek afterwards.<br/>
"I knew you were talented enough to get accepted! I told you before that you always underestimate your own talent..!"<br/>
And only after Jaehyung had already wiped it away, I noticed that a tear had been rolling down my cheek. My smile stayed on my face, though not seeming as convincing anymore.</p><p>"I'm sorry. I didn't plan on me leaving so soon. But they said that I couldn't be accepted otherwise, they wanted me to start my training this month. Honestly, I'm surprised I even got a week to pack my things and move there. They seemed like they preferred me moving in tomorrow or something."<br/>
"You don't have to be sorry for living your dream, Jae. I want you to be happy and do the things you love and if that's what you want to do then I'll have your back and support you the best I can."<br/>
Just a second after I said that last sentence, the dam in my eyes seemed to have broken completely. Tears after tears started streaming down my face and I began sobbing.<br/>
My boyfriend pulled me into a tight hug and I could hear that he, too, had quietly begun sobbing into the crook of my neck.</p><p>We were not only in a relationship for already five years, we had been friends since long before that.<br/>
The first time we had seen each other and talked was in first grade and since then we had some kind of unbreakable bond. Hadn't it been for our friends, who more or less pressured us into officially becoming boyfriend and girlfriend, we would still be in a state of "We aren't in a relationship, but don't you dare flirt with my best friend.". Neither him, nor I, ever had a crush on someone else and none of us two would have ever gotten the idea of getting into a relationship with another person.<br/>
Thus, the thought of not being together for months, or even years, made me crumble into pieces. How would I be able to survive that?</p><p>And altogether... "What does this mean regarding our relationship? Does this mean.. we have to break up?", I mumbled after we had done nothing, but silently crying while laying in each others arms for the past few minutes.<br/>
Jae looked at me with his slightly red eyes and began talking, his lips quivering just hardly noticeably: "I don't want to break up with you.."<br/>
His voice was barely even a whisper which made me understand, what he wanted to tell me, at once.<br/>
"You don't want to, but you have to. Am I right?"<br/>
I closed my eyes, afraid of the obvious answer he was going to give me.<br/>
"Yes."</p><p>I spent the rest of the last evening of winter break with laying in my best friend's, and roommate's, arms; crying.<br/>
Every few minutes I wriggled myself out of her hug to blow my nose and shove another spoon of ice cream into my mouth.<br/>
I was behaving exactly like those teenage girls in movies who broke up with their boyfriend after just a month or two of being together. But what exactly was I was supposed to do otherwise?<br/>
My boyfriend was forced to break up with me because he wanted to live his dream, although he didn't break up with me officially just yet.<br/>
After he had answered my question with a simple 'Yes', we had continued crying and hugging for a few minutes before he had gotten a call from his mom. He had been forced to leave because his mom wanted to meet up with him, not having seen him in a while as well.<br/>
He had given me a kiss, had wiped over my cheeks with his hands in an attempt to dry them, and then left my dorm room, closing the door behind him.</p><p> </p><p>That specific night just didn't want to turn into day as I lied in my bed not being able to sleep at all, which resulted into me going to my first class of the new year without a second of sleep, the darkest circles around my eyes I ever had and red eyes that looked as if I had smoked weed just before my first class started.<br/>
Of course, as one would do, my friends asked me if something was wrong or if something had happened, already being very worried about me because I almost never went out of my dorm room without looking at least somewhat presentable... and that definitely wasn't the case on that particular day.<br/>
"I'm fine. I just had some pretty shitty nightmares last night that I just don't seem to be able to let go..", was all I answered, trying to sound as convincing as possible, but deep down knowing that they didn't believe even one word of what I had told them.</p><p>So I spent the day lying to my friends, telling my best friend over and over again that she wasn't allowed to say a damn word to anyone - because I didn't want anyone to know anything about the whole thing before it wasn't official - and trying not to fall asleep in my classes. All the while I tried to avoid running into Jae, while also kind of searching for him. My mind just couldn't seem to choose which way to go.<br/>
When I was finally able to close the door of mine and my best friend's room behind me, knowing I wouldn't have to open it again to go somewhere at least for the remaining few hours of the day, I felt the most relieved I had felt in a long time. Though 'relieved' might not be the best word for it, as I still constantly worried about my relationship with Jae and wondered about what he was doing that exact moment.</p><p>Just the thought of him moving to Korea brought tears to my eyes and made my heart ache.<br/>
I would miss him so much.<br/>
And the worst of it was that I didn't even know if I was ever going to have him back; if he would ever be the same Jae I fell in love with so many years ago once we would meet again.</p><p>I had not a single clue about the Korean entertainment industry, about this whole business he was going to throw himself into, because I never thought I would have to know anything about it. Even though Jae tried to teach me about it on several occasions, I never really saved it in my memories as 'important' and thus couldn't remember much of what he had told me, though 'Wonder Girls' and 'JYP Entertainment' rang some kind of bell.<br/>
So I did what I had to do as I waited for my best friend to come home so we could do something to distract me.<br/>
I had strategically positioned a bag of chips, and some tissues next to me while my laptop was resting on my lap and just somehow spent the next three hours with finding out about everything I thought would help me understand this whole situation better.</p><p>"... Calm down, Rosy."<br/>
"What do you mean calm down?! How can I calm down when I just read about those 'slave contracts' and stuff? Instead of Jae pursuing his dream, I think he's going to sell his freaking soul to that entertainment!"<br/>
Since the moment my best friend had set a foot into our room, I had not stopped talking about the horrible things I had read about.<br/>
"Every dating rumor is a scandal... they aren't even allowed to date until some three or four years after they have debuted! If the boys just look at a girl, they get hate comments! That's just... obnoxious!"<br/>
"Calm. Down. And stop using those kinda words, it doesn't suit you", Rachel said and looked at me with her usual calming and relaxing look. "Jae knows what he's doing, you gotta trust him. He loves you. And that won't change just because he lives in Korea and is training to become a superstar..! I think, although he's following his dream and trying to make his dearest wish come true, he won't forget you and he'll try everything to stay in contact with you and to somehow make this relationship work even with those 11.000 kilometers separating you from each other. Everything will be fine."<br/>
I looked at her skeptically, I didn't believe her just yet. The things I had read in those few hours pretty much traumatized me and lead me to believe that I would never see my boyfriend again, except for maybe on the television.</p><p> </p><p>"Hey babe."<br/>
"Hey, Jae. What is it..?"<br/>
"I just wanted to ask if you would want to go grab a coffee with me after your last class?"<br/>
"Yeah, sure. I'll be waiting for you at the usual spot?"<br/>
"Yep! See you in a few hours!"<br/>
"See ya! Love you!"<br/>
"Love you too!"<br/>
I hung up and put my phone in my bag. If it hadn't been for the situation we were in, that short conversation could have been a normal one, like those we had nearly every day.<br/>
But it wasn't.</p><p>"You're going on a date with Jae?", my friend, who sat next to me in the classroom which was slowly getting more and more filled with other students, asked and looked at me in a curious way.<br/>
"Oh well... Define 'date." I laughed. "I think we didn't go on a real date for a veeery longtime, we're just meeting to go drink a coffee and walk around the park a bit."<br/>
"So.. Everything's fine? Like, your relationship is still going strong?"<br/>
It took me a bit to find an answer.<br/>
"Yeah, I hope so?"<br/>
"Alright! Just askin' because you haven't been talking about him like you usually would, and you also spent so much time with me and your other friends the past four days.... without inviting him too. I was just worried!"<br/>
"No need to worry!" I smiled at her and then quickly changed the topic to something I was more comfortable talking about.</p><p>Jae was going to fly to Korea on the next day around 5pm, he texted me these information shortly after my discussion with Rachel, about the Korean music industry thing, had ended. Thus I kinda already knew why he wanted to meet up with me.<br/>
He probably wanted to ask me whether I wanted to say goodbye to him at the airport or a bit before at his home. And he probably also wanted to take me on our last 'coffee-date' to officially break up with me.<br/>
So, I guess it was understandable that I was pretty nervous as I was waiting for him to pick me up from our usual spot right outside of my dorm.<br/>
To distract me a little, I was texting with Rachel who was currently sitting in one of her most boring classes, if you wanted to believe her words.</p><p>- <em>Everything's going to be fine, Rosy-Posy!</em></p><p><br/>
--- I'm not thaaat convinced, Rachel-Pachel...</p><p><br/>
- <em>Don't worry. Even if he's officially breaking up with you, it's not the end. He will come back to you sooner or later</em></p><p><br/>
--- What if he doesn't though? What if he finds someone better in Korea? Some beautiful Korean idol whom I really can't compare to?</p><p><br/>
- <em>STOP THAT BEHAVIOR RIGHT NOW<br/>
</em>- <em>istg<br/>
</em>- <em>He. Would. Never. Fall. In. Love. With. Someone. Else. Like. Ever. And. Now. Shut. Up.<br/>
<br/>
</em></p><p>--- ........... you're an idiot.</p><p><br/>
- <em>I know, and you love me for it!</em></p><p><br/>
--- Pff, you wish.</p><p><br/>
- <em>Anyway. I'll go grab some snacks on my way back to the dorm. Any specific preferences?</em></p><p><br/>
--- Ice Cream.....<br/>
--- And chocolate<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>- <em>Ay ay, captain! Smell ya later, need to do some group work with my seat mates ugh</em></p><p><br/>
--- See ya</p><p> </p><p>And as soon as I put my phone back in my pocket, I saw Jae coming my way so I began walking towards him as well, to sort of meet him halfway.<br/>
When we stood in front of each other, he kissed me like he would always do and our hands immediately intertwined. Same thing as always.<br/>
"So, Beautiful, what do you think about Starbucks?"<br/>
"Oh? Starbucks? Only if you pay for our drinks, I'm literally the most broke I've ever been in my entire life at the moment."<br/>
We laughed and started walking to the nearby coffee shop.</p><p>"I guess you want the same as always?"<br/>
"Yep!" My smile on my face grew wider and I sat down at our usual spot. At that exact moment I just banned every thought of him leaving the next evening from my mind. I would have to deal with those things early enough.</p><p>And that's exactly what happened.<br/>
We had enjoyed our coffee and talked about stuff like we normally would, just that there was always some kind of twist to everything.<br/>
Jae had asked me how my classes had been the last few days, and I had answered "Ugh. What do you expect? All of my professors get ready for exams and stuff, it's annoying...". As usual, I had asked him how his classes had been as well, but his answer brought back the reality real quick: "... I didn't go to classes all week, I actually just officially dropped out of college yesterday. I was packing my stuff and saying goodbye to friends and some of my family members."</p><p>A few minutes after that I, again, totally forgot about everything that was going on and had asked him if he wanted to go on holiday with me during spring break; a tradition we had since we were still too young to go on a vacation alone and went with our families. But again, he had to remind me what was actually going to happen that spring: He would be living in Korea, training to become a star and I would probably be sitting at a random beach because my friends had persuaded me into going on a vacation with them.</p><p>Finally, after about an hour of sitting at Starbucks, just talking about things, we left the café and just randomly strolled through the streets until we ended up at the park near the dormitories, like we always did.<br/>
We went our usual route, past the flowerbeds with more or less non-existent flowers because of the cold winter, on to the playground where we would spent some time on the swings. After that we went to the big water fountain and both threw a coin in it while we thought of our wish.<br/>
And while I couldn't even begin to imagine what Jae could have wished for, I knew my wish since the second we left the playground: "Please let Jae's dream come true."</p><p> </p><p>After we had spent at least ten more minutes just looking at the fountain and enjoying the last Christmas-y lights that were still hung up around the park, we made our way back to my dorm.<br/>
Sometimes, past our coffee-dates, he would go to my dorm room with me and us two, Rachel, and on some occasions Rachel's boyfriend too, would watch a movie together or just talk. But that most probably wouldn't be the case that day.</p><p>"So..." Jae began as we stood directly in front of the dormitory. If one wouldn't know better, one could assume that we just went on our first date and this was one of those cliche moments where the two persons stand in front of each other and both wait for the other to take the first step. While I was sure that we would kiss each other that evening, I wish we wouldn't. Because it would be one of the last kisses for a very long time, or maybe forever?<br/>
"Yeah..." I said equally as awkward.<br/>
"I.. really don't wanna ruin the mood or something but-"<br/>
As much as didn't want it to happen, I had to interrupt him: "Which mood?"<br/>
We both laughed a little.<br/>
"You're right.." Jae shook his head a little, while a slight smile crept up his face. "I wanted to ask you if you would want to come to the airport with me? Tomorrow evening? I'm going to get to the airport with my parents, we could take you with us... and they can also take you to your dorm again afterwards."<br/>
The first tear escaped my eye, but I moved quickly to wipe it away.<br/>
"Yeah, I would love to. But your parents don't have to take me with them, I'm gonna drive there by myself.. Or well, with Rachel because she wanted to say goodbye too."<br/>
"Oh okay.. Fine by me."<br/>
Jae looked me into the eyes and I was able to see the tears gathering in his eyes, as I could feel the same happening to me.<br/>
"Do you have a farewell party planned, by the way?", I asked, curious because I heard some people talking about Jae inviting them to a party and wondering because I myself didn't get an invitation.<br/>
"Just a small gathering with some friends at my parents house, a few hours before I have to go to the airport... Most of my friends don't even know that I'm going to Korea, at least not yet. I planned on telling them tomorrow to avoid... stuff. As of right now they think I'm 'just' dropping out of college. " A second after he said that, he seemed to have caught up on what I tried to hint on. "I didn't invite you... because I didn't want us to part this way. Since I'm going to reveal that I'm going to move to Korea at that party, I don't want people to assume things about you and our relationship. You know what I mean?"<br/>
"I do, Jae.. So this evening was our own little farewell party?"<br/>
A second tear rolled down my cheek, this time I didn't wipe it away and just let it drop onto my shirt.<br/>
"You could say so, yeah."<br/>
I nodded and then saw Jae suddenly fumbling with something in his pocket.</p><p>"I actually have something for you.. a small gift I didn't want to give to you at the airport because no one is allowed to know about this, really."<br/>
Automatically, without me actually wanting it, my head tilted a little before I realized what he might have meant. I actually read about this while I was searching for information about the Korean music industry.<br/>
The idols, and probably especially the trainees, weren't allowed to date. From what Jae had hinted on, they were even forced to break up with their girlfriends or boyfriends before starting their training.<br/>
But why would he have to hide that present from everyone? Why was no one allowed to see what he wanted to give me? Didn't he ever tell his company about me and didn't want them to ever find out he even was in a relationship at some point in his life prior to training?</p><p>"The past few days were horrible. Probably as horrible for me as they were for you... I had to basically say goodbye to everything; college, friends, family... Most of the time without them even knowing why." Jae had begun talking again after a few seconds of silence. "I'm giving up everything for this dream. Or.. I rather have to give up everything. I don't want to, but I have to."<br/>
I nodded, still very clueless about what exactly he wanted to tell me with the words he was saying and especially what that had to do with this gift he wanted to give me.<br/>
"But.."<br/>
From one second to another my ears suddenly perked up and I had my eyes wide open. Why but? What was there to say "but" to? I was so confused until...<br/>
"But I don't want to give you up, our relationship. I don't wanna lose you, this, everything about it."<br/>
"Jae, I don't understa-"<br/>
He put a finger on his lips which signalized me to shut up immediately, then he pulled something out of his pocket. A small box covered in some kind of dark red, velvet-y fabric.<br/>
"I'm-"<br/>
Again with the finger.</p><p>"I know, this is probably not how you imagined it to be. It's just another evening... on the campus, directly in front of your dorm. We didn't go on a special date. And there are basically no people to applaud us. My god, it's not even a ring. But I'm still doing this, although I know you always dreamed of it being more like they do it in movies."<br/>
He sighed and my mind went blank as soon as he opened the small box.<br/>
"I also won't kneel down.. I hope you don't mind. I really can't do it the obvious way in case anyone should be watching... and I can't let anyone know about this because it would endanger me being able to pursue my dream."<br/>
"Jae, what-. I'm-... How-"<br/>
I was speechless, I literally couldn't believe what he was saying, what he was hinting at.</p><p>"So.. Rose... you're the most beautiful and thoughtful person I've ever met... the funniest person I know... and my one and only soulmate. We've been through many things, but never gave up on each other and our relationship. I know that it won't be any easier in the future, not the slightest bit. It will rather be harder than ever. But I know we're strong enough to overcome those hardships. I believe in us and I hope you do too."<br/>
Jae breathed in deeply. I still stood right in front of him, not saying anything while my eyes were alternating between looking at Jae and the small box he was holding.<br/>
"Normally, I would ask whether you want to marry me now... But since that won't happen any time soon, I thought of a different way to say something equally as meaningful."<br/>
He smiled brightly and so did I. My eyes were now permanently looking into his eyes.<br/>
"Will you accept this necklace as a symbol of me being by your side, always; for me still being part of your daily life while living thousands of miles away; for our paths always meeting again even when it seems rough and not doable; for us marrying some day in the future?"</p><p>From that moment on I couldn't control my tears anymore. My hands were covering my mouth while I was alternately sobbing and gasping for maybe thirty seconds.<br/>
"Will you?"<br/>
Jae lifted up the box a bit more to signalize that he was waiting for an answer and to hopefully be able to put this necklace around my neck.<br/>
I nodded and mumbled a "Yes.", then I threw myself into Jae's arms.</p><p>After hugging and crying for a few minutes, we let go of each other and he asked whether he could put the necklace on me. I, again, nodded, still being too speechless and overwhelmed to say a word or even a whole sentence.</p><p>"It looks so beautiful on you.. I hope you like it too."<br/>
"I love it. It's so pretty.."<br/>
It wasn't very expensive or extravagant looking, rather something minimalistic.<br/>
The necklace was silver with a single pendant, which looked like a rose, hanging from it. Engraved onto the back of the pendant was the symbol for infinity and a "J &amp; R".<br/>
Simple, but it matched perfectly with me, my style and our relationship.</p><p>We had stood there, just admiring each other and enjoying the others' presence, for a few more minutes before Jae took a look at his watch and told me he had to go since he still had to prepare a few things for the party the next day.<br/>
"I love you."<br/>
"I love you, too, Rose."<br/>
Our faces came a bit closer to each other and he cupped my face as our lips met.<br/>
This kiss was very gentle and the way he moved his lips against mine made it all seem so fragile.<br/>
It felt like it was our first kiss, but at the same time also like it was our very last one.<br/>
We kissed until we both had to part because we needed to take a breath. Then he gave me another short peck on the lips.<br/>
"I love you so much."<br/>
Since our faces were still very close to each other, I didn't answer him by speaking but used another short kiss as the response. I loved him too, so much it hurt.</p><p>We hugged again.<br/>
"I don't want to let go of you. It feels like I'm letting go of you forever."<br/>
"I know it does, but you aren't", he answered as he touched the closure of the necklace to remind me of what he had promised me. "We'll see each other again."<br/>
His hands began rubbing my back as he must have felt my body trembling because I had begun crying again. "I know, Beautiful... I know... I'll miss you too, I'll miss you so much. But I promise I'll try to make time to somehow talk with you. I'll steal my manager's phone if I have to."<br/>
We both giggled for a short moment and then let go of each other.</p><p>"I really have to go now...", he quietly said, his eyes showing how sad he must have been, but also how much he loved me. "We'll see each other tomorrow, at the airport. I'll text you the exact time as soon as I talked with my parents about when we want to be there and stuff."<br/>
I nodded.<br/>
"Before I go, though, I have to remind you that you're not allowed to tell anyone about the promise we made. We have to tell them we broke up – on good terms of course. Tell them I gave you the necklace as a last present, not as a substitute for an engagement ring... I'm really sorry that this is how we have to do it, but it's for the best."<br/>
"I know it is.. But I can't even tell Rachel?"<br/>
Jae sighed and then looked at me. "I know she's that one person you trust the most, besides me. She's your best friend. She's more or less your sister. So if you feel like she won't ever tell anyone else, under no circumstances.. then you can tell her. But no one else, not your parents, not any other friends.. okay?"<br/>
The slight smile on my face grew wider.<br/>
"Okay."<br/>
We hugged, kissed and exchanged "I love you"'s again, then he walked away to his car and I made my way to the dorm room.</p><p>I was feeling dizzy, and everything was spinning around me as I walked up the stairs to my room, it almost felt like I was going to black out any second. But in all honesty, this was a good kind of dizzy because it wasn't like I was overwhelmed with sadness and my broken heart throbbing in my chest – although that too, at least a bit. Rather, I was happy that he valued our relationship as much as his actions and words told me he did. And even if we weren't going to end up married, having three kids running around our house, Jae writing lyrics for the 10th or so anniversary of his band, I knew that neither of us ever gave up on that dream at any point of our life. I was so sure that him and I would fight to the very end to have the future we had envisioned with each other since 5th grade. If it wasn't going to happen, then it just wasn't meant to be.<br/>
But we both valued our time together, cherishing every single second we spent with each other.</p><p>As the days gone by were the best of our lives.</p>
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